Sheet feeding machine



Jan. 12, 1937.

L. H. CROSS 2,067,380

SHEET FEEDING MACHINE Filed March 18, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet l 1937- L. H. CROSS SHEET FEEDING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 18, 1956 Jan. 12, 1937. L. H. cRossv SHEET FEEDING MACHINE Filed March 18, 1956 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Jan. 12, 1937. H. cRoss SHEET FEEDING MACHINE Filed March 18, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 N am am A ToRNEYl Jail. 12, 1937. CROSS 2,067,380

' SHEET FEEDING MACHINE 7 Filed March 18, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTO Patented Jan. '12, 1937 PATENT OFFICE SHEET FEEDING MACHINE Leonard B. Cross, Port Washington, N. Y., assignor to Cross Paper-Feeder Company, Boston, Mass., "a corporation of Massachusetts Application March 18', 1936, Serial No. 69,431

15 Claims. (01. 27138) The present invention relates to improvements in the type of sheet feeding machines in which a bank or pile of sheets is fed forwardly upon a feed board in partially separated or feathered out condition. The bank of partially separated or feathered out sheetsinthis type-of machine is intermittently fed or moved forwardly upon the feed board by suitable mechanism-automatically thrown into andout of action by suitable controlling devices which have for their purpose the substantially continuous presentation of the feathered out bank in properrposition upon the feed board forv the action of suitable final separating. and feed-off devices.

It has heretofore .beenproposed to control the feed or forward movement of the feathered out bank of sheetsiiin this type of machine in vari-,

ous ways such for instance in those machines embodying combing separators for the final separation of the top sheets by means of the combing intervals; the feed being thrown into action through suitable means when the combing interval exceeds the predetermined amount or thrown out of action when the combing interval is less than the normal period; or the control of the bank feed has been effected by means of sheet actuated devices of various forms engaged by the front of the feathered bank of sheets; or in somecases the bank feed has been controlled by means of calipering devices which engage the forward portion of a feathered out bank for throwing the feeding mechanism into or out of .action upon the increase or decrease from normal of the thickness of the bank at the 'point of operation of the caliper.

The present invention is an improvement upon this same general type of continuous sheet feedi ing machine and consists of means for feeding or advancing a feathered out bank or pile of sheets upon the feed board inpombination with final separating and feed-ofi devices and means for throwing the bank feed into action or out of action controlled by the extent of'movement of the feed-off devices in carrying a finally separated sheet from the feathered out bank to sheet delivery mechanism of any suitable form. The feed-off devicesare controlled by means actuated by the advanced sheet for arresting their movement upon the delivery of the sheet to the 1930, in which machine the bank of sheets is feathered or fanned out in its movement from the supply table to the feed board through the pile reversing throat, and the feathered bank is intermittently held against motion on the delivery feed board while the top sheet of the bank is separated at its rear edge to receive a film of air from suitable air blast devices and, after this preliminary separation, the front edge of the sheet, floating upon a film of air, is grasped 10 by feed-ofi grippers which first raise said front edge away from the feathered out bank and then move in a higher plane away from'the bank and present the sheet to drop roller delivery mechanism.

In the application of the present invention to the machine of this Cross and Hnllstream Patent No. 1,760,119, I employ control mechanism for throwing the bank feed into and out of operation, the bank feed being thrown into operation or held out of operation depending upon the extent of movement of the feed-oft devices in carrying separated sheets from the fanned out bank to the drop roller delivery mechanism. It will be understood that the extent of this delivery movement of the feed-off devices terminated by the sheet actuated cut-out trips, will always be dependent upon the location of the forward edge of the top sheet of' the fanned out bank upon the feed board with relation to the delivery mechanism.

In order that the invention may be fully understood it will first be described with .reference to the accompanying drawings and the novelty afterwards more particularly pointed out in the annexed claims.

In said drawings,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a sheet separating and delivery machine of the double table type embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a detail vertical longitudinal sectional view of the delivery part of the machine showing the bank feeding mechanism under the control of the sheet feed-ofl devices;

Figure 3 is a partial plan view ,of the essential parts of the mechanism shown in Figure 2;

Figures 4 and 5 are detail sectional views similar to Figure 2 showing different positions of the feed-off control of the bank feeding mechanism;

Figure 6 is a detail vertical longitudinal sectional view showing a modified form of the feedoffl devices for controlling the bank feeding mechanism; and

Figure 7 isa view similar to Figure 6 showing theparts in a shifted position.

In the drawings the invention is shown embodied in a sheet feeder of the continuous" type in which a bank of feathered or fanned out sheets is fed from an upper supply table I through a bank reversing throat 2 around a large feed roller 3 on to the lower feed table 4, by means of upper feed belts 5 and lower feed belts 6 arranged in the usual manner and. intermittently driven by ratchet and pawl mechanism acting upon the lower belts 6 as will presently bedescribed. The bank is further feathered or fanned out in passing around roller 3 from the upper to the lower table. The feed table t has theupper runs of the usual lower helts 6 extending over a large part of its length. The

feathered bank rests upon these feed belts 5 and 6 by which the successive top sheets are pre'- sented in position for-the action of the feed-01f devices which move the sheets individually from v The end of the lever l opposite to the pawl 8 connected through a link i2 with the lower .ll of the machine.

end of an automatically controlled cam operated lever l3 journalled upon a stud shaft Maud projecting above the feed board d at one side of the machine into position beneath its operating cam. This lever l3 carries an antifriction roller l5 presented in the vertical plane of a feed operating cam l5 splined upon the cam shaft The shape of the cam it is such as to impart motion to the lever 83 once every revolution for-imparting a feeding stroke to the belt feeding ratchet when permitted to do so by the controlling mechanism hereinafter described. A spring It acts upon the lever it to retract the pawl-carrying lever it and present the roller 85 in the path of the cam it.

It will be understood that the improved ma-=. chine is preferably equipped 'with suitable mechanism for effecting the preliminary separationof the rear ends of the successive top sheets of the feathered pile and winding the sheets, any suitable means, such as fully set forth in said Cross and Hallstream Patent No. 1,760,119, and indicated at X in Figure 1 being employed for this purpose. The general arrangement only of such separating means is illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawings.

The delivery mechanism for the machine is preferably of the drop roller type in which the continually rotating lower feed rollers 26 upon a shaft 25' are presented with their upper periphery in the plane of feed while the upper drop rollers 22- journalled upon rock arms 28 extending from a rock shaft 2 5 are adapted to peripherally engage the forward edge of a sheet above the feed rollers 20 and feed the same from the bank upon the feed board in a well-known manner.

Any suitable feed-off devices may be employed for conveying separated sheets from the feed board to the drop-roller delivery mechanism. In the preferred form of the improved machine I The pulley 5d joumalled in suitable bracket employ suction cup grippers, one of which isindicated at '25 mounted by bracket 26 upon the vertical face 'of a reciprocatory feed bar 21 which is supported by'and slides in a guide bracket 28 carried by a lever 29 journalled upon l a stud '30 projecting laterally from an auxiliary machine frame 3|. This bracket supporting lever 29 carries upon its rear end an antifriction roller 32 presented in the vertical plane of a controllingcam 33 splined upon the cam shaft Il whereby in the rotation of said cam the delivery end of the sliding feed bar 21 is intermittently raised and'lowered.

The rear end of the feed bar 21 is pivotally connected and supported at 34 upon the lower end'of an operating lever 35 pi'votally mounted upon an auxiliary machine frame at 36 and connected at 31 with a-link 38 which has a forked forward end straddling the cam shaft I] and carrying an antifriction roller 39 which operates in peripheral engagement with a cam 40 upon the cam shaft H. A spring 4| connects lever 35 with the machine frame for holding the antifriction roller 39 in" engagement with cam so for efiecting the forward and backward movements of the feed bar 2?.

The feed bar 27 is formed upon its upper edge with ratchet teeth 21a is mounted upon a stud and a cut-out pawl 42 d3 of bracket 28 to en- ,gage said ratchet for arresting the spring induced motion of the feed bar toward the delivery end of the machine. There is a cam heel dd projecting beneath the cut-out pawl 62 and a pin d5 projecting laterally from the feed bar 21 in position to engage the cam heel M and raise the pawl '42 out of engagement with the ratchet 27a upon the completion of feed bar rearwardly in preparation for the succeeding feeding movement of the feed bar, see Figure 4.

A cam shaped controlling finger d6 pivoted to the'bracket 23 at d1 projects upwardly beneath the cut-out pawl $2, a spring 68 connecting the finger 86 with pawl M to yieldingly hold them in their respective positions, in which the end of pawl 32 rests upon finger 6 and is supported disengaged from the ratchet 21a. 69 is a cut-out trip finger pivoted at 50 to the bracket 28 and supported adjacent to one of the lower feed rollers 20 to intersect the path of sheets from the feed board over the ,rollers 20. This trip finger d9 carries an adjustable screw 5i that passes loosely through a perforation in the finger 36 and supports a smallcoil spring 51a between members 36 and at, so that the latter,. when tripped by a sheet, rocks member at to lower the dog 62 into engagement with the ratchet 27a for arresting the delivery movement of the feedoil" gripper 25. Any suitable form of cut-out trip and dog may be used.

series of steps or shoulders 52 with which engages a dog 53 splined upon a transverse pivot shaft the machine frame and having adjustably mounted upon it a tappet arm 53 presented in the path of an adjustable screw tappet 56 threaded through a lug 57 on the face of the 7 5 movement of the v bearings upon Y lever 35 above referred to. The successive steps or shoulders 52 are progressive radial distances from the pivot l4 of lever l3 so that the particular step or shoulder engaged by dog 53 on the retraction of lever l3 after a bank feeding stroke will depend upon the extent of movement of the feed-oil. gripper slide indicated by raising dog '53 more or less. It will be observed that so long as the tappet arm 55 is free from the pressure of the tappet screw 56 the dog 53 will engage one ofthe steps or shoulders 52 and thereby prevent the retraction of the ratchet operating lever l3 and pawl 9. In the forward movement of the feed bar 21 carrying the feedoif suction gripper 25 the tappet screw 56 engages tappet arm 55 and disengages dog 53 so as to allow lever l3 and pawl 9170 be retracted as the low part of cam [6 reaches antifriction roller IS. The extent of retraction of this operating mechanism depends upon the extent of movement of the feed-off devices which is controlled by the sheet actuated cut-out dog 42.

Considering the machine in the position shown in Figure 4 it will be observed that the operating lever l3 for the .bank feed is held in its extreme position at the completion of a feeding stroke, the dog 53 engaging the lowest step or shoulder on the lever. This position results from the previous feeding stroke of the cam, the dog having been freed to its engaging position by the rearward movement of lever 35. It will also be observed that in this rearward stroke of the mechanism the pawl 42 is held up out of engagement with the ratchet 21a by reason of the engagement of pin 45 with cam arm 44. It will also be observed that the delivery end of the feed bar 21 is in its elevated position and the suction gripper is in its rearmost position. The parts are shown as they are about to move for another operation, the movement being from the position shown in Figure 4 to that shown in Figure 2, the suction gripper being lowered by reason of the lowering of the delivery end of feed bar 21 and as the feed bar moves toward its delivery and carrying with it. agripped sheet. The tappet 56 engages the arm 55 controlling dog 53. If the movement shown in Figure 2 is sufficient to place the sheet in delivery position beneath the drop rollers, there will be no movement of the operating mechanism for the bank feed. If, however, the feed-oil devices have to move a little further it will be observed that the dog 53 will be raised out of the path of the lowest step or shoulder into the path of the next step or shoulder or in extreme conditions entirely free of the shoulders so that the antifriction roller |will be moved by spring l8 into engagement with the lowest part of the controlling cam l6 ready to be actuated for a complete feeding stroke of the ratchet mechanism of the bank feed. This extreme position is shown in Figure ;5 in readiness for a bank feeding stroke. In this same position the feeding stroke of the feed bar has been arrested by the engagement of the pawl 42 which was dropped by the sheet actuated cut-out removing the guard 46, its engagement with the pawl having been broken by the sheet actuated cut-out. The suction gripper then releases the sheet with the action of the drop roller delivery mechanism which quickly feeds the sheet off from the path while the feed-oft devices are raised away from the sheet and returned-to their initial rearward position illustrated in Figure 4.

In operating under certain conditions it is desirable to employ positive grippers with the feedofl devices, such for instance as is shown in the modification of Figures 6 and '7 of the drawings.

In these illustrations of the form of device with positive gripper, there is shown the feed slide with conventional suction gripper which will act the same as in the preferred form of the mechanism and in addition a positive gripper that cooperates with the suction gripper. In this form of device the ratchet feed slide 21 has secured to its delivery end a bracket plate ,55 on which is formed a downwardly and forwardly projecting arm 56having a laterally projecting finger 56a. which constitutes the upper fixed jaw of a positive gripper. Pivotally mounted to the feed bar 21 adjacent to bracket 55 is the movable jaw of the gripper comprising a plate 51 formed with a lower gripper jaw 58 spaced from the main body of plate 51 by a recess 59 to fit over the fixed gripper jaw 56a when it is swung into position to grip the forward edge of a sheet between jaws 56 and 58. This gripper plate 51 has an elongated slot in its upper end lengthwise of the gripper plate as indicated at 60, in which engages the pivot pin 6| projecting from the ratchet bar 21, the purpose being to permit the gripper plate 51 to not only swing upon pin 6|, but also to move lengthwise upon the pin to bring the movable gripper jaw 58 into clamping engagement with fixed gripper jaw 56:; upon the forward edge of a sheet that is to be taken from the feed board to the delivery mechanism.

62 and 63 are toggle links pivotally mounted respectively upon the pivot pin 5| and upon a pin 64 projecting from the face of gripper plate 51. These toggle links 62 and. 63 are also pivotally connected together at their inner adjacent ends, the connecting pivot also uniting them to a link 65. A stop pin 61 upon gripper plate 51 limits the movement of toggle links 62, 63 in toggle straightening direction induced by the spring 66, connecting link 63 with pin 65a. on gripper plate 51. The link 65 connects at its rear end 68 with a bell crank lever 69 pivotally mounted at 19 upon a bracket H rigidly secured to and projecting up from the ratchet feed bar 21. This bell crank lever 69 carries an antifriction roller 12 operating in peripheral engagement with a gripper controlling cam I3 keyed to the cam shaft IT. A spring 14 connects bell crank lever 69 with feed bar 21 holding the same against a stop pin 15 when the passage of the low part of cam 13 permits the spring to move gripper plate 51 inwardly against edge of bracket 55 with movable gripper jaw 58, beneath fixed jaw 56a, and then break the toggle and close the movable gripper jaw against the fixed gripper jaw to engage a sheet. This sheet engaged position of the positive gripper is shown in Figure 7 of the drawings. The gripper releases the sheet when the high part of the controlling cam 13 rocks the lever' 69 straightening the toggle links 62, 63 to separate the gripper jaws and throw the movable gripper jaw into the position shown in Figure 6 where it is raised above the path of the sheet as the sheet is taken by the drop roller delivery mechanism.

The illustration of the positive gripper mechanism in Figures 6 and 7 is simplified by omitting from these views the complete cut-out control of the feed slide, the dog 42 being, however, indicated so that it will be understood that the feed bar 21 is operated and automatically controlled in the same manner as described with reference to the preferred form of the mechanism.

In the action of the feed-oil devices with positive delivery grippers it will be understood that the suction grippers first raise the forward end of the top sheet fromthe feathered pile as indicated in Figure -6 and the positive grippers are immediately thereafter brought into position to grip the forward edge of the sheet as shown in Figure ,l. The feed bar then moves forwardly "until arrested by the automatic controlwhen the gripp r releases the sheet and is taken by main function of the gripper in this modified form shown in Figures 6 and 7 being to raise the forward edge of 'the top sheet into position to be taken by the positive grippers. v

The importance of the present invention is due to its'simplicity and efiectiveness in controlling the feed of the bank of sheets to exactly,

meet the requirements of the feed-oi and deliverymechanisms. The control of the bank feed is more directly related to the requirements of the feed-01f devices than have been the controls heretofore employed-the operation and extent of the bank feed being in direct relation to the extent of movement required of .thefeed-off devices in moving sheets from the feed board to the delivery mechanism. 'The improvement affords more time than heretofore to satisfactorily perform-the bank feeding operation, sincethere is .a longer period between the passage of the rear edge of the fed off sheet and the start of the feed-ofi of the next succeeding sheet.

The bank feeding mechanism is thrown into action whenever the feed-off devices move more than the normal distance in conveying the leading edge of a sheet to the drop roller delivery mechanism, and each time it is thrown into action, said bank feeding mechanism operates to the required extent to advance the.bank to proper normal position upon the feed table, which position requires only the normal extent of movement of the feed-off devices.

I claim: 1. In a machine for feeding sheets, the combination with a sheet support, and mechanism for advancing a bank of sheets upon said sheet devices adapted to move successive sheets from support, of sheet delivery mechanism,- feed-ofi the bank to said delivery mechanism, and means actuated by the movement of the feed-01f devices for controlling the bank advancing mechamsm.

2. In a machine for feeding sheets, the combination with a sheet support, mechanism for advancing 'a bank of sheets upon said sheet support, means for separating successive top sheets from said bank, sheet delivery mechanism, and feed-0E devices adapted to move separated sheets from the bank to said delivery mechanism, of means actuated by the movement of the feedofi? devices for controlling the bank advancing mechanism.

3. In a machine for feeding sheets, the combination with a feed board, mechanism for advancing a bank of sheets upon said feed board, means for separating successive top sheets from said bank, sheet delivery mechanism, and sheet nism, and feed-off devices, adapted to controlled feed-off devices adapted to move successive separated sheets from the feed board to said delivery mechanism, of means aictuated by the movement of the feed-01f devicesfor controlling the' bank advancing mechanism. I

4. In a machine -for feeding sheets, the"ccm-' bination with a feed board, mechanism for advancing a bank .of featheredfl sheets upon said feed board, means: for separating successive top sheets from the feathered bank, sheet delivery vance successiveseparated sheets from the bank to said delivery mechanism, of means controlled advancing a bank of sheets upon said sheet support, means for separating successive top sheets from said bank, suitable sheet delivery mechacessive separated sheets from the bahk to the delivery mechanism, of means actuated variably in accordance with the extent of movement of the feed-01f devices for advancing mechanism.

6. In a machine for feeding sheets,'the combination with a sheet support, mechanism for I advancing a bank of feathered sheets upon said sheet supp rt, means for separating successive move succontrolling the bank top sheets from said feathered bank, droproller delivery mechanism, and sheet controlled feedofi devices adapted to move successive separated sheets from the bank to the delivery mechanism,

of means actuated variably in accordance with the extent of movement of the feed-off devices for controlling thebank advancing mechanism. 7. In a machine for feeding sheets, the combination with a sheet support, mechanism for,

advancing a bank of feathered sheets upon said sheet support, means for separating successive top sheets from the feathered bank, sheet de-' livery, mechanism, and feed-ofi devices adapted to move successive separated sheets from the bank to the delivery mechanism, of means actuated variably in accordance with the extent of movement of the feed-01f devices for controlling and determining the extent of operation of the bank feeding mechanism. I I

8. In a machine for feeding sheets, the combination with a feed board,,mechanism for advancing a bank of feathered sheets upon said feed board, means for separating successive top sheets from the feathered bank, a drop roller delivery mechanism, and feed-off devices adapted to advance successive separated sheets from the bank to the delivery mechanism, of means controlled by the advanced sheet for arresting the movement of said feed-0E devices, and means actuated variably in accordance with the extent or movement of the feed-off devices for determining the operation of the bank feeding mechamsm.

9. In a machine for feeding sheets, the combination with a sheet support, mechanism for feathering and advancing a bank of sheets upon said support, means for separating successive 7 top sheets from the feathered bank, sheet de- 10 mechanism, and feed-01f devices adapted to ad-' controlling the bank feathering and advancing mechanism.

10. In a machine for feeding sheets, the combination with a sheet support, mechanism for feathering and advancing a bank of sheets upon said support, means for sepmating successive top sheets from the feathered bank, sheet delivery mechanism, and sheet controlled feed-oil devices adapted to move successive separated sheets from the bank to the delivery mechanism, of means actuated variably in accordance with the extent of movement of the feed-off devices for controlling and determining the extent of operation of the bank feathering and advancing mechanism.

11. In a machine for feeding sheets, the combination with a feed board, mechanism for advancing a bank of feathered sheets upon said feed board, means for separating successive sheets from the feathered bank, sheet delivery mechanism, and feed-off devices adapted to move successive sheets from the bank .to said delivery mechanism, of means controlled by the advanced sheet for arresting the movement of said feed-ofi devices, and means actuated variably in' accordance with the extent of movement of the feed-on devices for controlling and determining the extent of movement of the bank advancing mechanism.

12. In a machine for feeding sheets, the combination with a feed board, mechanism for advancing a bank of feathered sheets upon said feed board including a cam operated lever having a series of control shoulders, means for separating successive sheets from the feathered bank, sheet delivery mechanism, sheet controlled feed-off devices adapted to move successive sheets from the bank to said delivery mechanism, and a dog actuated variably in accordance with the extent of movement of the feedoff devices adapted to engage said lever control shoulders and thereby determine the extent of movement of the bank advancing mechanism.

13. In a machine for feeding sheets, the combination with a sheet support, mechanism for advancing a bank of feathered sheets upon said sheet support, means for separating successive sheets from the feathered bank, sheet delivery mechanism, sheet controlled feed-off devices operating in a plane above said sheet support adapted to move successive sheets from the bank to said delivery mechanism, and means for raising the forward edge of a sheet into the plane of action of said feed-off devices, of means actuated by the movement of said feed-off devices for controlling the bank feeding mechanism.

14. In a machine for feeding sheets, the combination with a sheet support, mechanism for advancing a bank of feathered sheets upon said sheet support, means for separating successive sheets from the feathered bank, sheet delivery mechanism, feed-off grippers operating in a plane above said sheet support adapted to move successive sheets from the bank to said delivery mechanism, and suctiongrippers for raising the forward edge of a sheet into the plane of action of said feed-off grippers, of means actuated variably in accordance with the extent of movement of said feed-off grippers for controlling the bank feeding mechanism.

15. In a machine for feeding sheets, the com,- bination with a sheet support, mechanism for advancing a bank of feathered sheets upon said sheet support, means for separating successive top sheets from, the feathered bank, sheet delivery mechanism, a reciprocating feed-off bar operating in a plane above said sheet support, an automatic sheet engaging gripper mounted upon said feed-off bar and adapted to move successive sheets from the bank to said delivery mechanism, and a suction device upon said feedofi bar for raising the forward edge ofa sheet into the plane of action of said automatic gripper, of means actuated variably in accordance with the extent of movement of said feed-off devices for' controlling the bank feeding mechanism.

LEONARD H. CROSS. 

